An accord signed by the federal justice minister and the chief justice of the Supreme Court ‘enhances our collective understanding of judicial independence,’ says the court's executive legal officer.

Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi says if Canadians actually look at the record, they will appreciate that the Supreme Court has upheld 'the highest standards of conduct' over many years and that in reality, 'there should be very little concern' about judicial independence heading into the October election. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The Supreme Court’s chief justice and the federal justice minister recently signed an accord “recognizing and reinforcing” the top court’s independence, a move Conservative justice critic Lisa Raitt says is “ironic,” given reports earlier this year that the government “clearly sought to interfere with a Crown prosecutor’s independence.”

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Mike Lapointe joined the The Hill Times in June 2019 and covers the federal public service, deputy ministers, the Privy Council Office, public service unions, the Phoenix pay system, the machinery of government, and the Parliament Hill media. Follow - mlapointe@hilltimes.com

Unless Trudeau plans to be out on these streets, fighting against police brutality or in cabinet drafting legislation to curb police powers, his, and all the other white voices of his ilk, have no merit here.

'I do agree that things need to be implemented as quickly as possible. We could've done this a lot sooner. The good news is that we’re doing it now and announcing it today,' says Transport Minister Marc Garneau.